Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Education Specialist, UNICEF

Purpose:To support Country Offices to enhance capacity to analyse education data and use it to enhance results-based programming and monitoring

Location:Nairobi, Kenya, Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office

Duration:364 days (TA)

Start Date:9 June 2014 – 7 June 2015

Reporting To:Regional Education Advisor

Background:Much progress has been made in education in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA); however, 9-19 million primary age children and 7-8 million lower secondary age children are still out of school, according to UNICEF-UIS regional Out-of-School Children report (2013).

It is imperative for the Governments and partners to accelerate the effort to reach the unreached children and ensure all children have quality education.

In order to reach unreached and disadvantaged children, it is critical to examine their characteristics - who they are, where they are and the reasons why they are deprived of their right to quality education, so that relevant interventions can be developed and implemented, supported by policies and plans.

Many countries in the region collect data on education through administrative routine data collection and household surveys.

Although the data tends to focus more on access, there are also data on students’ learning outcomes. Nonetheless, countries have not made sufficient effort to analyse the existing data and evidence.

Strengthening the evidence base to enhance advocacy, knowledge management and technical support to Country Offices (COs) and Government are UNICEF’s key corporate and programme priorities, in order to achieve equity. With UNICEF’s refocuses on equity, the existing human rights based approach to programming needs to be further strengthened, and sharpening country programmes of cooperation for accelerated results for the most disadvantaged children is highly required.

In education, UNICEF has been strengthening the evidence base on out of school children and reasons for their exclusion. UNICEF and UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS) have been working on Out of School Children Initiative {http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Pages/out-of-school-children.aspx}, and developed a Conceptual and Methodological Framework for Out of School Children (OOSC) studies.

In the Eastern and Southern African region, using the Framework, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) undertook a regional OOSC study, and assisted Mozambique, Zambia, Ethiopia and South Sudan to carry out OOSC country studies.

In 2013, the regional study, as well as Mozambique, Zambia and Ethiopia country studies were completed. The UIS and UNICEF are joined in the initiative by the Global Partnership for Education and Understanding Children’s Work, an interagency research project of ILO, UNICEF and the World Bank.

There is need to continue this analysis across all countries in the region.

There is urgent need for UNICEF’s Education programme to enhance in-country capacity to carry out analysis to enhance programme planning, implementation and monitoring of progress and results within the countries in the region.

Most countries in Eastern and Southern Africa have been applying equity analysis to their programming as this is a global priority which is evident in Situation Analyses, as well as in the strengthening of education sector monitoring and evaluation systems.

However, the extent to which Education programmes monitor the programme implementation with focus on UNICEF inputs and outputs to respond to child, monitor at subnational and national levels to assess and review progress in addressing the barriers and bottlenecks to reducing deprivation, and monitor trends in the situation children is variable.

The support to the Country Offices in this area is a key priority area for the Basic Education and Gender Equality (BEGE) Section in ESARO.

Purpose of the Temporary Position

Accountable for assisting the Country Offices in the Eastern and Southern Africa region in the work on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), specifically in analysing education data and enhancing the monitoring and evaluation framework of the UNICEF Country Offices’ education programmes. Supports the Country Offices to improve their capacities to monitor results and strengthen the systems.

Assists the Country Offices to support their Government counterparts to enhance equity and results-based education monitoring and evaluation.

Coordinate with other programmes in the Regional Office, in particular M&E and Planning.

Works under the supervision of the Regional Education Adviser, and in close collaboration with other members of the Regional Office’s Education Section to enhance BEGE section’s analysis and M&E capacity.

Key End-Results

1. Timely analysis of education data, input and support to the UNICEF Country Offices in the region for evidence-based education programme planning, development and management.

Examination of barriers and bottlenecks in achieving equity in education, together with qualitative analysis.

Support provided to Country Offices to plan and carry out Out-of-School Children country studies, following the OOSC Methodological and Conceptual Framework, including conducting secondary analysis on OOSCI using available and latest census/household data.

Documentation of experiences involving Out-of-School Children country studies, focusing on the Governments’ commitment and actions using the studies, and impact of the initiatives on the education sector planning.

Support provided to Country Offices to document their experiences where education programmes have undertaken bottleneck analysis, developed education programme based on the analysis, and monitored the programme implementation in the region.

Experiences that have also integrated period monitoring of intermediate outcomes and impact will be prioritized.

Support provided to Country Offices to enhance their education programmes to be more results-oriented, using existing opportunities such as Country Programme development and Situation Analysis.

Assistance provided to Country Offices to monitor the programme implementation with focus on UNICEF inputs, monitor at subnational and national levels to assess and review progress in addressing the barriers and bottlenecks to reducing deprivation, and monitor trends in the situation children are variable.

Support provided to the ESARO BEGE section to undertake data analysis and M&E in the respective areas, including Early Childhood Development, girls’ education and gender equality, and emergencies.

4.Programme planning, evaluation and reporting carried out efficiently, rigorously and transparently in compliance with the established guidelines and procedures.

Support provided to Country Offices and partners to apply analytical and programming tools to contribute equity in education promoted.

Training workshops in relation to Out-of-School Children, education system analysis, bottleneck analysis and report cards, and Simulations for Equity in Education model.

5.Effective communication and networking achieved through partnership and collaboration.

Coordination with HQ and other Regional Offices to share ESAR experiences on equity and evidence based education programming and monitoring in the region.

Analytical briefs based on education data and analysis for policy advocacy produced to highlight inequities and poor education quality in the region.

Partnerships with other UN agencies, and development partners at the regional level to support countries in the region to undertake evidence-based education planning.

Support provided to ESARO education to update and develop other materials to enhance equity in education and improve quality and learning in the region.

Qualification

Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, with a major focus on statistics, monitoring and evaluation.

Eight years of relevant work experience at the national and international levels in M&E, data analysis in education and programme management.

Demonstrated experience of data analysis including the use of statistical software such as SPSS, Stata etc.

Demonstrated experience in M&E plans design.

Demonstrated experience in working with UN agencies and governments would be an asset.

Experience in Eastern Africa is desirable.

Fluency in English (ability to write reports in clear and readable language); French would be an asset.

Competencies and Experience

Communicates effectively to varied audiences, both verbally and in writing.

Works effectively within a team environment and can work autonomously when required.

Interested candidates should send their complete Personal History (P11) form, which can be downloaded from the UNICEF Kenya website (http://www.unicef.org/kenya), up-to-date CV/resume, 2 most recent PERS (UN/UNICEF Staff Members) as well as a cover letter to esarohrvacancies@unicef.org by 13 May 2014.